Tell us about your regular practice area. Where do you practice and what do you do? What do you love most about your job?
As you might see from the robe, I am a criminal defense counsel in international criminal courts and war crimes tribunals in Europe and Africa. I defend leaders charged with responsibility for atrocities in places like Rwanda and Bosnia and ensure that they have a fair trial.
What is your favorite pro bono experience?
My favorite pro bono experience has been going to court in underserved counties in Eastern North Carolina and helping people get their convictions expunged.
Tell us about your experience with the Pro Bono Resource Center projects.
I have volunteered for the Driver’s License Restoration Program and the pilot project for expunctions with the Federal Public Defender of the Eastern District of North Carolina. The NC Pro Bono Resource Center team organizes the work so well that my part is simple and seamless.
How has pro bono volunteerism enriched your career? How has it enriched you personally and professionally?
From the devastated societies that are the subject of war crimes trials, I see what can happen when fear and hatred take over. When I am back home in NC, the expunction and driver’s license restoration work makes me feel like I am contributing in a small way to help my own country overcome racism and economic inequality. I want to make a difference. You can too!
Of what moment(s) from your pro bono work are you proudest?
After I helped a Legal Aid client from Craven County get his conviction expunged, he went on to law school and graduated from NCCU this spring.
What advice would you give attorneys who have not yet provided any pro bono service?
The NC Pro Bono Resource Center makes it so easy for you! You will be surprised at how little time it can take to make a big difference in someone’s life. And you might find that the adage, “Who rescued who?”, applies to you.